TRANSISTOR RADIO DESIGN
Focusing on the design of pocket transistor radios manufactured during the 1950's & 1960's!
FUTURA 666 'BELL PRODUCTS'
This two transistor, earphone only, Futura 666 was manufactured by Bell Products in the USA in 1962. Bell Products (not to be confused with Bell Labs) sold some really quirky products aimed at youngsters, including a toy Geiger Counter!
This radio is unusual for a couple of reasons; it is American made at a time when most pocket radios were being manufactured in Japan and it is the American equivalent of the two transistor Japanese 'Boys Radio'.It is manufactured in the style of a crystal radio, imitating a transistor radio, with a fake speaker grill. Just to clarify, that’s a transistor radio made to look like a crystal radio imitating a transistor radio…!
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This Futura 666 features gold foil beneath the tuning dial and a sturdy earphone. I have shortened the earphone wire for display purposes by wrapping it inside the radio. The gold foil is fragile and often missing from these radios; but not on this one. It is stamped Bell Products on the back.
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This Futura 666 can also be found branded as a Happi-Time, sold by Sears. The 1963 version came with an extra transistor.
Bell Products also manufactured radios branded as Futura Medallion and Futura Bel Air.
